Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

[Logic-is-your-friend]

This is the end. There's no way DD will give him a contract for next year.

They can't. The only thing he's done since 2013 is have a good TDF in 2016. They're best off going after someone like Jakobsen, Philipsen, Hodeg, or even Sam Bennett and using the change from Cav's salary to get a talented neo pro.

Can't see Jakobsen leaving QST or Philipsen leaving UAE. Don't have high hopes for Hodeg tbh. Sam Bennett could be a steal.

With Viviani and Gaviria ahead of them in their respective teams, I wouldn't be surprised. Especially with Gaviria only being a couple of years older than Philipsen.

Philipsen isn't ready for that role yet. He isn't even a pure sprinter to begin with. As for Jakobsen, he's clearly won out over Hodeg, and for a team like Quickstep, there are a lot of chances for Jakobsen (who isn't the finished article yet either) to compete, as one of two sprinters. Quickstep always had more than one sprinter, and they usually won more than at other teams.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I wish he hadn't crashed in 14 since that would have caused him to be less jumpy in 15. Still hope he can pull it together but if this year ends in misery it might be best to hang it up.

 

[Scarponi]

I feel like Cali is a little over hyped about his bad performances. Some absolute monster length stages and legit elevation gains. Would have been better doing four days of dunkirk or other races without such a massive route

 

[Akuryo]

This is the end. There's no way DD will give him a contract for next year.

They can't. The only thing he's done since 2013 is have a good TDF in 2016. They're best off going after someone like Jakobsen, Philipsen, Hodeg, or even Sam Bennett and using the change from Cav's salary to get a talented neo pro.

Jakobsen and Hodeg both extended for 2 years already earlier this season...

 

[King Boonen]

Re:

I feel like Cali is a little over hyped about his bad performances. Some absolute monster length stages and legit elevation gains. Would have been better doing four days of dunkirk or other races without such a massive route

Nah, if he wants to ride the Tour he needs that kind of effort in his legs now, both physically and mentally. Was always going to be hard but I'm pretty sure his only real goal was getting through those big stages.

 

[Scarponi]

Re: Re:

I feel like Cali is a little over hyped about his bad performances. Some absolute monster length stages and legit elevation gains. Would have been better doing four days of dunkirk or other races without such a massive route

Nah, if he wants to ride the Tour he needs that kind of effort in his legs now, both physically and mentally. Was always going to be hard but I'm pretty sure his only real goal was getting through those big stages.

100% agree if he has tour in mind, just feel like it was an overly long and hard Cali. He would have finished a lot of other races. He should do Veulta this year and one more tour next year if he is truly clear of the disease

 

[Leinster]

Re:

I feel like Cali is a little over hyped about his bad performances. Some absolute monster length stages and legit elevation gains. Would have been better doing four days of dunkirk or other races without such a massive route

Stage 1 was 140 dead flat kms, and he finished nowhere. The tough climbing in the remaining stages may stand to him in the rest of the season, but it would be an act of pure optimism for DD to bring him to the Tour unless they know something we don’t.

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

I feel like Cali is a little over hyped about his bad performances. Some absolute monster length stages and legit elevation gains. Would have been better doing four days of dunkirk or other races without such a massive route

Nah, if he wants to ride the Tour he needs that kind of effort in his legs now, both physically and mentally. Was always going to be hard but I'm pretty sure his only real goal was getting through those big stages.

100% agree if he has tour in mind, just feel like it was an overly long and hard Cali. He would have finished a lot of other races. He should do Veulta this year and one more tour next year if he is truly clear of the disease

What's his contract situation? Maybe this is his last year to have a crack at the Tour? I get the feeling that he doesn't need the boost from finishing races, he knows what's needed and wanted the big climbs. Maybe I'm wrong but hopefully it has worked for him. I know when I've had time off the bike a ride where I completely crack gets me back on the way to being in shape better than rides where I finish.

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

I feel like Cali is a little over hyped about his bad performances. Some absolute monster length stages and legit elevation gains. Would have been better doing four days of dunkirk or other races without such a massive route

Stage 1 was 140 dead flat kms, and he finished nowhere. The tough climbing in the remaining stages may stand to him in the rest of the season, but it would be an act of pure optimism for DD to bring him to the Tour unless they know something we don’t.

It's Cavendish. Him being at the Tour puts Dimension Data in the press more than any other rider. Even if he doesn't make it, there will be column inches written about him. From a purely sporting perspective you're probably right. From a business point of view, I think they'll take him if he has even a slight chance of being involve in the bunch sprints.

 

[luckyboy]

Even from a sporting perspective, it doesn't seem like Cavendish taking a spot will negatively affect their chances of doing something much. This isn't Ineos or Quick Step we're talking about.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Even from a sporting perspective, it doesn't seem like Cavendish taking a spot will negatively affect their chances of doing something much. This isn't Ineos or Quick Step we're talking about.

It would hurt close to every other team than Di Data, Im sure. Dont have to be a big team not to select current Cav. But Di Data will probably be the worst team in the peloton, so sure, why not?

 

[perico]

I wouldn't go that far to being the worst. With Meintjes and Roman, you have a better than avg shot at finishing in the lower rungs of the Top 10 on GC, and Boessen Hagen is always a threat to win a stage.

 

[SHAD0W93]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mark-cavendish-to-race-tour-of-slovenia-in-build-up-to-tour-de-france/

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

I wouldn't go that far to being the worst. With Meintjes and Roman, you have a better than avg shot at finishing in the lower rungs of the Top 10 on GC, and Boessen Hagen is always a threat to win a stage.

Weaker than Cofidis, Arkea and possibly Wanty and Direct Energy.

I would leave Cav for the Vuelta and take a team based around stage hunting with EBH, Valgren and Gasparotto while try to get Meintjes and Kreuziger in the top 10. They almost need to approach this like a PCT team.

 

[Leinster]

They can’t get Meintjes AND Kreuziger in the top 10, they have to sacrifice one for the sake of the other. They can send Kreuziger up the road in breaks and if he loses his chance at the stage he can recover for a bit and then help Meintjes out for a stretch on his way back to the grupetto.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

They can’t get Meintjes AND Kreuziger in the top 10, they have to sacrifice one for the sake of the other. They can send Kreuziger up the road in breaks and if he loses his chance at the stage he can recover for a bit and then help Meintjes out for a stretch on his way back to the grupetto.

Sorry, Meintjes or Kreuziger top 10.

What is becoming clearer is that they can't send Cav. 10 minutes back on a sprint won by Ackermann less than 3 weeks from the Grand Depart is nothing but red flag.

Gibbons or EBH will have to sprint.

 

[Moviefan1203]

Think this is it for Cav at this level?

 

[Leinster]

Re:

Think this is it for Cav at this level?

I can’t see a World Tour team taking a punt on him if he’s not even contesting bunch finishes.

 

[Moviefan1203]

Re: Re:

Think this is it for Cav at this level?

I can’t see a World Tour team taking a punt on him if he’s not even contesting bunch finishes.

Never like to see a great champion go out like this, but I completely agree.

 

[SHAD0W93]

He did say that he was using the race to build his form more and he wasn't planning on contesting.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

He did say that he was using the race to build his form more and he wasn't planning on contesting.

It's 2.5 weeks to the Tour, to still be chasing form now is not a good look. Sagan is flying, Viviani looks like his train is sorted and Matthews nearly won the opening TT at Suisse. They'll clobber him.

He should be preparing for the Vuelta, if he gets his form sorted he will be competitive there. For now, he's looking like a passenger.

 

[yaco]

Cavendish has been saying all-season he's not contesting the win - He's not ready for the TDF when he's finishing with CT riders.

 

[Leinster]

Equally worrying for Cav; Mark Renshaw's best finish so far this season was 42nd on stage 1 of the Tour of Turkey.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Strange to see a rider that dominated sprints in the TDF in such fashion end up like this years later. Sad.

 

[Faserr]

Yes, but the riders are not machines. A lot of crashes, serious sickness. It doesn't really make sense to continue cycling at pro level after so much setbacks.